Council sets out waste collection contingency plans

Contingency plans have been put in place for bin collections to ensure the most vital services are delivered as Wirral continues to manage the impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

The council anticipates higher levels of absence as COVID-19 continues to impact daily lives. This means having to prioritise services based on the potential impact on health.

Although there are currently no changes to bin collections, if staffing levels do fall as expected, employees will be redeployed to ensure green (general waste) bins and waste that could be hazardous to health continue to be collected.

Grey recycling and brown garden waste bins will be collected for as long as possible, but may be delayed or stopped altogether if staff levels are heavily impacted in the coming weeks or months.

Brown garden waste bins will be collected for as long as possible for current subscribers and they do not have to subscribe again until further notice.

New subscriptions to the garden waste collection service for 2020/21 that normally take place in April will now be delayed and residents will be notified when this reopens.

New ERIC (bulky waste) collections have also been suspended. If you have already made a booking, your collection will continue as scheduled unless staffing levels are impacted significantly.

Wirral’s Cabinet Member for Community Services, Cllr Julie McManus said: ‘The health of residents remains our number one priority at this unprecedented time. Unfortunately, this means some services will be affected as we redeploy our staff where they’re most needed.

‘Recycling remains a top priority for the council, but as recyclable waste does not pose a threat to human health if left in the bin, general and hazardous waste must take priority at this time.

‘I cannot thank residents enough for their understanding as we all pull together to tackle COVID-19.’

The council and our contractors are monitoring the situation daily and updates on waste collections will be provided via the Wirral Council website, Facebook, Twitter or the text reminder service if you’ve subscribed.